Big Apple Circus - Revision history

Djando: /* Raising The Tent */

2026-03-26T18:10:47Z

‎Raising The Tent

Djando: /* Epilogue? */

2025-09-29T17:03:13Z

‎Epilogue?

Djando: /* Epilogue? */

2025-01-23T20:19:08Z

‎Epilogue?

Djando: /* See Also */

2024-01-10T05:12:32Z

‎See Also

Djando: /* See Also */

2024-01-10T05:12:12Z

‎See Also

Djando: /* Image Gallery */

2024-01-10T01:24:51Z

‎Image Gallery

Djando: /* Epilogue? */

2024-01-10T01:16:06Z

‎Epilogue?

Djando: /* Epilogue? */

2024-01-10T01:12:32Z

‎Epilogue?

Djando: /* Image Gallery */

2023-08-10T16:48:47Z

‎Image Gallery

Djando: /* The Project */

2023-08-10T16:41:49Z

‎The Project

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 The training of new performers and the show rehearsals took off at the Spring Street studio. Meanwhile, a tent had to be ordered. Its design followed the Nouveau Cirque de Paris’s circular, European-style big top&mdash;then practically unknown in America&mdash;but more from guess recollections than thorough technical study. It was being made in Queens and, from the start, inexperience and bad communications ran the project in trouble. Making a circus tent is not an easy matter, and more so if one doesn’t hire a professional and experienced tent maker, but budget considerations and unflappable optimism made everybody believe the home-made tent could&mdash;must&mdash;work.
-Everything was now in motion for a July 4, 1977, opening. But where? The first choice had been Battery Park at Manhattan’s southern tip, but that was without reckoning on New York City’s gargantuan bureaucracy. One month before the opening, the site had moved from the green lawns of Battery Park to a barren, sand- and gravel-covered landfill on the shores of the Hudson River&mdash;which had been hopefully named Battery Park City&mdash;but there was no assurance that the endless list of authorizations and permits would be obtained in time, if ever!
+[[File:Battery_Park_BAC_1977.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Big Apple Circus, minus its tent, at Battery Park City (1977)]]Everything was now in motion for a July 4, 1977, opening. But where? The first choice had been Battery Park at Manhattan’s southern tip, but that was without reckoning on New York City’s gargantuan bureaucracy. One month before the opening, the site had moved from the green lawns of Battery Park to a barren, sand- and gravel-covered landfill on the shores of the Hudson River&mdash;which had been hopefully named Battery Park City&mdash;but there was no assurance that the endless list of authorizations and permits would be obtained in time, if ever!
-[[File:Battery_Park_BAC_1977.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Big Apple Circus, minus its tent, at Battery Park City (1977)]]They arrived one week or two before the scheduled inauguration, but meanwhile, the tent maker had become incommunicado, and nobody knew when it would be delivered. Nonetheless, a rental truck was filled with the ring, the permits, show tickets, box-office material, and equipment and everybody rushed to the site. When the warden tried to open the chain-fence gates, the padlock was stuck. When it finally succumbed to a pair of cable cutters and everybody returned to the truck… it had been stolen! The police miraculously found it and all its contents on East 47the Street, where it had been abandoned by the drunk who had taken it joyriding. Then Michael, Paul, Nina and Gregory went to Queens to take delivery of the big top. They were given the poles, the cables, and the stakes. As for the tent itself, they were told that it had been sent to Boston for some "final touches."
+They arrived one week or two before the scheduled inauguration, but meanwhile, the tent maker had become incommunicado, and nobody knew when it would be delivered. Nonetheless, a rental truck was filled with the ring, the permits, show tickets, box-office material, and equipment and everybody rushed to the site. When the warden tried to open the chain-fence gates, the padlock was stuck. When it finally succumbed to a pair of cable cutters and everybody returned to the truck… it had been stolen! The police miraculously found it and all its contents on East 47the Street, where it had been abandoned by the drunk who had taken it joyriding. Then Michael, Paul, Nina and Gregory went to Queens to take delivery of the big top. They were given the poles, the cables, and the stakes. As for the tent itself, they were told that it had been sent to Boston for some "final touches."
 July 4th came. It was a day of fireworks over Manhattan, but no Circus Day! Finally, at 5:30 am on July 9, the tent was delivered to Battery Park City. Impending despair suddenly gave way to relief, excitement, and elation. The poles had been up for a while; even the ring was in position, and the bleachers were piled up nearby. Warren Bacon, an experienced rigger who had returned from Taïwan to participate in the Big Apple Circus adventure, his team, and everyone available began the arduous process of setting up a big top for the first time.

@@ Line 155: / Line 155: @@
 The 2019 production was placed under the management of Saint Louis, Missouri's [[Circus Flora]] team, headed by Executive Producer Jack Marsh and [[Cecil MacKinnon]], who directed the show. Most of the old Big Apple Circus's familiar figures had gone by then, along with a large part of its original style: It was indeed a new Big Apple Circus. Then came the coronavirus pandemic, and the Big Apple Circus didn't appear in 2020.
-In July 2021, the circus was sold to a group headed by the high-wire walker [[Nik Wallenda]], who had been featured in its 2019 production. Nick Wallenda announced the re-opening of the circus at Lincoln Center on November 11, 2021, with a show featuring... Nick Wallenda: the first two seasons were was not a resounding success, to say the least; it finally broke even in 2022-23, but the future of the Lincoln Center season seemed to be in question. Then, for the 2023-24 Holiday Season at Lincoln Center, the Big Apple Circus, under a new management, brought to New York Germany's famed [[Circus Roncalli]]: it was this time a perfect match, Roncalli's "old time" style, theatricality, and poetry reminding audiences of the Big Apple Circus of yore. It was a huge success, and the Big Apple Circus was back on track&mdash;but perhaps not for long...
+In July 2021, the circus was sold to a group headed by the high-wire walker [[Nik Wallenda]], who had been featured in its 2019 production. Nick Wallenda announced the re-opening of the circus at Lincoln Center on November 11, 2021, with a show featuring... Nick Wallenda: the first two seasons were was not a resounding success, to say the least; it finally broke even in 2022-23, but the future of the Lincoln Center season seemed to be in question. Then, for the 2023-24 Holiday Season at Lincoln Center, the Big Apple Circus, under a new management, brought to New York Germany's famed [[Circus Roncalli]]: it was this time a perfect match, Roncalli's "old time" style, theatricality, and poetry reminding audiences of the Big Apple Circus of yore. It was a huge success, and the Big Apple Circus was back on track&mdash;but who knows for how long?...
 ==Suggested reading==

@@ Line 155: / Line 155: @@
 The 2019 production was placed under the management of Saint Louis, Missouri's [[Circus Flora]] team, headed by Executive Producer Jack Marsh and [[Cecil MacKinnon]], who directed the show. Most of the old Big Apple Circus's familiar figures had gone by then, along with a large part of its original style: It was indeed a new Big Apple Circus. Then came the coronavirus pandemic, and the Big Apple Circus didn't appear in 2020.
-In July 2021, the circus was sold to a group headed by the high-wire walker [[Nik Wallenda]], who had been featured in its 2019 production. Nick Wallenda announced the re-opening of the circus at Lincoln Center on November 11, 2021, with a show featuring... Nick Wallenda: the first two seasons were was not a resounding success, to say the least; it finally broke even in 2022-23, but the future of the Lincoln Center season seemed to be in question. Then, for the 2023-24 Holiday Season at Lincoln Center, the Big Apple Circus, under a new management, brought to New York Germany's famed [[Circus Roncalli]]: it was this time a perfect match, Roncalli's "old time" style, theatricality, and poetry reminding audiences of the Big Apple Circus of yore. It was a huge success, and the Big Apple Circus was back on track...
+In July 2021, the circus was sold to a group headed by the high-wire walker [[Nik Wallenda]], who had been featured in its 2019 production. Nick Wallenda announced the re-opening of the circus at Lincoln Center on November 11, 2021, with a show featuring... Nick Wallenda: the first two seasons were was not a resounding success, to say the least; it finally broke even in 2022-23, but the future of the Lincoln Center season seemed to be in question. Then, for the 2023-24 Holiday Season at Lincoln Center, the Big Apple Circus, under a new management, brought to New York Germany's famed [[Circus Roncalli]]: it was this time a perfect match, Roncalli's "old time" style, theatricality, and poetry reminding audiences of the Big Apple Circus of yore. It was a huge success, and the Big Apple Circus was back on track&mdash;but perhaps not for long...
 ==Suggested reading==

@@ Line 169: / Line 169: @@
 * Biographies: [[Paul Binder]], [[Michael Christensen]]
 * Video: [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'' &mdash; the first season of the Big Apple Circus]], Skip Blumberg's 30-minute documentary (1977)
-* Video: [[Big_Apple_Circus_Teaser_Video_(2023)|Promotional Teaser for ''Journey To The Rainbow'' (2023)
+* Video: [[Big_Apple_Circus_Teaser_Video_(2023)|Promotional Teaser]] for ''Journey To The Rainbow'' (2023)
 ==Image Gallery==

@@ Line 169: / Line 169: @@
 * Biographies: [[Paul Binder]], [[Michael Christensen]]
 * Video: [[BAC_Blumberg_Video_(1977)|''For A Moment You Fly'' &mdash; the first season of the Big Apple Circus]], Skip Blumberg's 30-minute documentary (1977)
 ==Image Gallery==

@@ Line 184: / Line 184: @@
 File:Big_Apple_Circus_Charivari.jpg|The First Charivari (1977)
 File:Binder_Christensen_Scott_1978.jpg|Dale Scott, Michael Christensen and Paul Binder (1978)
 File:Big_Apple_Circus_1978.jpeg|The Big Apple Circus on 8th Avenue in Manhattan (1978)
 File:BAC_button.jpg|Souvenir Button (1978)

@@ Line 153: / Line 153: @@
 Yet, the enterprise's financial stability remained fragile, which led to internal feuds and reshuffling by the investors. Neil Kahanovitz, who had spearheaded the rescue of the Big Apple Circus, was pushed out and was replaced by Randy Weiner, a New York playwright, producer and theater and nightclub owner. After a failed attempt to tour small arenas in the spring/summer of 2019, the Big Apple Circus decided to limit its engagements to New York's Lincoln Center.
-The 2019 production was placed under the management of Saint Louis, Missouri's [[Circus Flora]] team, headed by Executive Producer Jack Marsh and [[Cecil MacKinnon]], who directed the show. Most of the old Big Apple Circus's familiar figures had gone by then, along with a large part of its original style: It was indeed a new Big Apple Circus. Then came the coronavirus pandemic, and the Big Apple Circus didn't appear in 2020. In July 2021, the circus was sold to a group headed by the high-wire walker [[Nik Wallenda]], who had been featured in its 2019 production. Nick Wallenda announced the re-opening of the circus at Lincoln Center on November 11, 2021, with a show featuring... Nick Wallenda. However, the long-term future of this cherished New York institution still remains uncertain.
+The 2019 production was placed under the management of Saint Louis, Missouri's [[Circus Flora]] team, headed by Executive Producer Jack Marsh and [[Cecil MacKinnon]], who directed the show. Most of the old Big Apple Circus's familiar figures had gone by then, along with a large part of its original style: It was indeed a new Big Apple Circus. Then came the coronavirus pandemic, and the Big Apple Circus didn't appear in 2020.
 ==Suggested reading==

@@ Line 226: / Line 226: @@
 File:Big_Apple_Finale_2017.jpeg|Finale at the Big Apple Circus (2017)
 File:Neil_Kahanovitz.jpeg|Neil Kahanovitz (2017)
 File:Big_Apple_Circus_2021.png|Poster for the Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center (2021)
 </gallery>
 [[Category: Circuses]]

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 A closet juggler, Richard Levy was an economist and teacher with a keen interest in politics and sociology. He was quick to see what a circus could bring to the life of the city, which then teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. He became the project’s champion and its chief fund-raiser. He also played the devil’s advocate, trying to bring Paul’s dream back to the real world. He nevertheless put his own house as a security for a loan&mdash;for a circus that existed only on paper.
-[[File:BAC_Founders_1997.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Michael Christensen (as "Mr. Stubs", Aland Slifka, Paul Binder, with "Grandma" (1997)]]While Paul and Michael were performing in Paris, Richard had found someone more cool-headed that the dreamers that surrounded them, Maggie Heimann, to write what he called "a killer proposal"&mdash;which was necessary to seek financial help from businesses, city and state agencies, and in general people who, unlike them, were used to dealing with projects on a more solid basis than sheer impulse. Heimann also knew a lot of people: This helped jump start the machine. Among her contacts were William Woodward, a self-effacing civic leader who instantly became a true believer, and Alan Slifka, a successful investment banker.
+[[File:BAC_Founders_1997.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Michael Christensen (as "Mr. Stubs"), Aland Slifka, Paul Binder, with Barry Lubin ("Grandma") (1997)]]While Paul and Michael were performing in Paris, Richard had found someone more cool-headed that the dreamers that surrounded them, Maggie Heimann, to write what he called "a killer proposal"&mdash;which was necessary to seek financial help from businesses, city and state agencies, and in general people who, unlike them, were used to dealing with projects on a more solid basis than sheer impulse. Heimann also knew a lot of people: This helped jump start the machine. Among her contacts were William Woodward, a self-effacing civic leader who instantly became a true believer, and Alan Slifka, a successful investment banker.
 Slifka was invited to a rehearsal at the studio that the still-to-be-incorporated New York School for Circus Arts had opened in Manhattan (of which later). Like Woodward, he went through the killer proposal, Paul’s pitch, and a slide show of the Fratellini experience. His response was: "My wife and I think it is a wonderful idea. We’d like to help." Alan Slifka, Maggie Heimann, and William Woodward were soon lured onto the first board of directors of the newly formed, not-for-profit New York School for Circus Arts, Inc. Alan Slifka (1929-2011) would be its chairman and guiding light for the next fifteen years and would help the organization weather many financial crises. He remained its Chairman Emeritus until his death in 2011.